Does Edinburgh need one?

Does Edinburgh need one?

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Monaro5.7

Original Poster:

7,333 posts

179 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
quotequote all
Does Edinburgh need a good quality car accessory shop?

If does what should be in it?

Where should it be?

Any ideas?

Dinoboy

2,499 posts

217 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
quotequote all
I take it your thinking this sort of thing https://www.carnoisseur.com
I do think its odd there are 4 of them in Northern Ireland and not a single one in the whole of Scotland.

Monaro5.7

Original Poster:

7,333 posts

179 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
quotequote all
iam thinking more somewhere you can get your magic tree to your Exedy clutch and everything in the middle.


Rockatansky

1,700 posts

187 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
quotequote all
It would be great to have something like that but, sadly, I doubt the over the counter custom is there. You'd probably need a decent webshop to augment things, or a cafe, or ramps for hire....

Monaro5.7

Original Poster:

7,333 posts

179 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
quotequote all
Rockatansky said:
It would be great to have something like that but, sadly, I doubt the over the counter custom is there. You'd probably need a decent webshop to augment things, or a cafe, or ramps for hire....
Location would help with ramps if it was located close to a garage with good respect within the community a service between them and the shop could be worked out.

A café would be a must.

A webshop and social media would be the key to something like this working out.

Edited by Monaro5.7 on Wednesday 21st May 11:29

Lefty

16,154 posts

202 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
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That's a great idea: a garage with ramps for rent, an accesory shop and a cafe for petrolheads to meet and hangout. None that I know of in the NE, think it would be very popular.

Robert Burns

909 posts

169 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
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Been looking to have a cafe in the falkirk/stirling area as its mostly central.

Have a few ideas/locations, but it difficult to start one when I have no idea how to start one.

Rockatansky

1,700 posts

187 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
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Let me know when you're looking for staff biggrin

Martyboy84

512 posts

153 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
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Massive car park, somewhere on a route that car clubs would use as a meeting point/ end point.. Cafe, toilets, car shop... bbq site?

Make a killing with car clubs rocking up. Hard to in Edinburgh though.

Like green welly basically with car things.

Rockatansky

1,700 posts

187 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
quotequote all
For car parts & accessories I would guess you'd need to be located in striking distance from the M8/9, that way you're accessible to a greater potential customer base. Sunday opening might be good too. Apart from Halfords I don't think anywhere is open for car stuff on Sundays. The downside is, obviously, having to work Sundays...


mwmackenzie

137 posts

263 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
quotequote all
Dinoboy said:
I take it your thinking this sort of thing https://www.carnoisseur.com
I do think its odd there are 4 of them in Northern Ireland and not a single one in the whole of Scotland.
Used to be one in Edinburgh in Gorgie but on the main road so no parking...... Closed years ago There was a different one accross form the Zoo years ago too, both closed down so guessing market not really there?

Monaro5.7

Original Poster:

7,333 posts

179 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
quotequote all
mwmackenzie said:
Used to be one in Edinburgh in Gorgie but on the main road so no parking...... Closed years ago There was a different one accross form the Zoo years ago too, both closed down so guessing market not really there?
Could this be down to location, even across from the zoo can be a nightmare to get to.


Monaro5.7

Original Poster:

7,333 posts

179 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
quotequote all
Martyboy84 said:
Massive car park, somewhere on a route that car clubs would use as a meeting point/ end point.. Cafe, toilets, car shop... bbq site?

Make a killing with car clubs rocking up. Hard to in Edinburgh though.

Like green welly basically with car things.
This is what makes I would be looking it and also the use of social media to bring as many car clubs organisation together, staff to from the trade (valeter, mechanic, paint, electrician)

Soupie69uk

924 posts

217 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
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I am sure there used to be a lot of these dotted about Scotland.

One near fountaintain Bridge, owner had an imola RS4 and think it was called Auto Image.

Was one I remember in Glasgow and I am sure I visited one in Falkirk in my younger years.

I think the online prices put most out of business. You will get people in browsing and then go and buy it online. Or you will not be able to hold parts for everything so they may as well order online anyway.

gofasterrosssco

1,237 posts

236 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
quotequote all
Soupie69uk said:
I am sure there used to be a lot of these dotted about Scotland.

One near fountaintain Bridge, owner had an imola RS4 and think it was called Auto Image.

Was one I remember in Glasgow and I am sure I visited one in Falkirk in my younger years.

I think the online prices put most out of business. You will get people in browsing and then go and buy it online. Or you will not be able to hold parts for everything so they may as well order online anyway.
There was Drivers in Glasgow. I only remember them as my mate ran up a stupid amount on their "store card" thing.. There was a place in Aberdeen on George st. that used have a show room full of wheels 'n stuff, and a workshop in the back.

I think nowadays people are alot more considered in their purchasing of "stuff", hence are unlikely to walk into a place and spend £xxx on parts when they are usually cheaper with awider selection online.

GreatPretender

26,140 posts

214 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
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Monaro5.7 said:
Does Edinburgh need a good quality car accessory shop?

If does what should be in it?

Where should it be?

Any ideas?
There's no market.

Two Brothers used to run Drivers and Checkpoint in Glasgow and Aberdeen respectively. Both business thrived in the 80s and 90s, but greater in-car technology and performance options from the manufacturers narrowed a market place that was already being taken over by the internet and the likes of Halfords.

Real shame.

Driver101

14,376 posts

121 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
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I can think of quite a few accessories, styling and tuning places across Scotland that have all gone belly up.

There doesn't seem to be anywhere enough trade for them to survive.

GreatPretender

26,140 posts

214 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
quotequote all
Rockatansky said:
It would be great to have something like that but, sadly, I doubt the over the counter custom is there. You'd probably need a decent webshop to augment things, or a cafe, or ramps for hire....
Precisely. And the customer base relative to the overheads for such a premises just doesn't stack up.

DUMBO100

1,878 posts

184 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
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http://autodiy.wordpress.com

This was in Queenslie, Glasgow but it seems to have died too

Dinoboy

2,499 posts

217 months

Wednesday 21st May 2014
quotequote all
GreatPretender said:
There's no market.


Real shame.
So why are all those Carnoissuer places dotted all over the rest of the UK?